Against the System
by Durai
Summary: Dane discovers that not only he was a slave to the Matrix. All of humanity was a part of the system all along. Now, finally pulled out of the system, he decides he will do whatever it takes to free humanity from the cruelty of the machines. Rated T for swearing and some graphical content.


**Against the System – The Matrix fan fiction**

**Written by Durai**

**WARNING: I will probably put some movie and game references in here, so don't read if you don't want any spoilers! Don't say you haven't been warned!**

Chapter 1 – Getting out of the System

Dane gasped for air as he plunged out of the small capsule he was in. He was partially blind, but when he looked around, he could see millions and millions of other capsules around him, all containing human bodies attached to wires and other cables.

To his horror, Dane realized he was also attached to cables. Then all of a sudden, a robot came up from the lower levels and floated right in front of him. A mechanical arm came out and grabbed him by the throat.

Dane clutched the arm, but it was too strong for him. Unmoving, like a mountain. Then, a mechanical eye gave him a full scan, he could see it. And then he was detached from the cables one by one and flushed down a pipe.

When Dane plunged into the water, he realized he couldn't swim. His whole past life flashed past him. A life as a martial artist, defying gravity sometimes, having fun on Friday nights, his girlfriend… That was all gone now. And he started to sink. The last thing he felt was another mechanical arm wrapping around him and pulling him up, out of the water. And then, everything became warm and he heard a voice: 'You're safe now, Pulse.'

Dane woke up. He couldn't see anything, but it felt like hundreds of needles were sticking out of him. At least he could speak. 'Where am I?' he asked softly. A woman's voice answered: 'The only thing you need to know right now is that you're safe. Get some rest; you're going to need it.' And he fell asleep again.

The next time he woke up, he was sleeping on a bed. It wasn't a soft feather bed, how he was used to sleep, but it was comfortable enough. He looked around, but the walls weren't covered in wallpaper. They were made of metal.

He got up slowly and tensed his muscles a little. They still responded to his will, so he wasn't dreaming. Then the door valve turned, the door opened and a tall man entered the room. 'Good you're awake, Pulse. We've got work to do,' the man said.

Dane frowned. 'Why are you calling me Pulse? It's my hacker name… And how did you know that, anyway?' The man smiled. 'All in due time, Pulse. But first things first. My name is Warden. I was the one that pulled you out of the Matrix.'

Dane frowned again. 'The Matrix? What the fuck are you talking about?' Warden grinned. 'I had the same reaction as you when I was pulled out. Come, stand up, I'll show you around my ship.' Dane stood up and followed Warden out.

When he looked around, he saw metal plating and cable wires everywhere. 'Let me explain to you where you currently are, Pulse. You are, right now, on a hovercraft called The Ostius. I know you lived in the year 1991, but this is closer to 2291. We don't know the exact date anymore, but that's not what matters nowadays.'

Dane looked around, in awe of the machinery around him. 'And what does matter, then?' he asked. Warden's look was grim. 'That the Machines want to destroy us, Pulse,' he answered. Then, other people joined around Warden and Dane.

'This is my crew,' Warden said. A young, fresh-faced man stepped forward. 'My name would be Bolt. I'm fast, I'm relentless and I don't appreciate people fuckin' around with me. But I like you already, so don't sweat it pal!' He gave Dane a pat on the shoulder.

'My name's Hawk, and if you ever try to screw us over, I will kill you. Good luck on the ship, kid,' the next man said. Hawk was somewhere in his late forties and had a rugged look on him. Then, a woman stepped forward.

'There's something about you that I like, Pulse,' the woman said. 'I'm Banshee. I'm like a ghost; silent but deadly.' Dane noticed she was actually quite the beauty. But he tried his best not to stare. 'Pleasure to meet all of you,' he replied.

Then he was patted on the shoulder. 'Don't ignore me, please!' a younger voice said. When Dane turned around, he saw a boy, no older than seventeen years old. 'And what's your name, kid?' he asked. Warden grinned. 'Don't call him kid; he'll kick your ass!' he said.

The boy looked Dane right in the eyes and said: 'Well, since you want to know that badly… My name is Seer. I can read the Matrix and provide you with anything you need on the inside.' Dane nodded. 'Right… Care to show me how the Matrix works?'

Seer smiled. 'You should know. I'm a pure-blooded human; I was never plugged into the Matrix. You, on the other hand, have been plugged into the Matrix for the first twenty-eight years of your life. I think the rest is self-explanatory.'

Dane could only gaze at Seer. 'I've been in the Matrix all my life?' he asked. 'So that means… I'm not born normally?' Seer shook his head. 'Nah, that's right. You weren't born, you were 'grown', so to speak. The Machines need energy. They got it from the sun first, but when it disappeared behind a thick layer of electric clouds, they turned to us as their energy source. It's our task to free everyone out of the Matrix.'

Dane nodded. 'Right… Is there any training I need to do?' Hawk started laughing out loud. 'What's so funny?' Dane asked. Hawk looked him right in the eyes. 'I'm sorry… It's just that you know so little… Warden is going to have to explain everything to you inside the Matrix. Come with me, I'll plug you in.'

Wondering what he meant, Dane followed Hawk to five chairs in the center of the ship. 'These are what I call the 'magic chairs',' Hawk said, 'You just sit here and we put this plug in the back of your head, and you'll be inside the Matrix when you open up your eyes again!'

Dane touched the back of his head and felt a plug entrance. Of course, he was plugged in for the first twenty-eight years of his life… He sat down in the chair. 'So how does this go? Do I just close my eyes and try to dream or something?' Hawk shook his head. 'Nope. Just close your eyes. I'll plug you in, which might sting because it's your first time, and when you open your eyes you'll simply be in.'

Dane nodded. 'Right, let's get this over with, then.' On the chair opposite of him, Warden was being plugged in together with Bolt. Banshee looked Dane deep in the eyes. 'Careful in the Matrix, Pulse,' she said, 'If you die there, the mind makes it real. So you die here as well. Good luck!' And with those words, Dane felt a massive sting in the back of his head and everything went black. And then he could see Warden and Bolt, standing in a normal room.

Warden spread out his arms. 'Welcome to the Matrix, Pulse!' he said.

**That's it for the first chapter! Hope you guys like where I'm going with this idea :) Please be as kind to rate this chapter/story and to review, it really helps me out lots! Have a good day, people!**


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